The invention relates to watersport boards and more specifically to surfboards and body boards. Conventional body boards have a bottom surface that is substantially planar. Surfboards, although not planar, usually have a smooth surface running from front to rear and from the left edge to the right edge of the bottom surface.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel surfboard having structure on its bottom surface that reduces xe2x80x9cwet surface areasxe2x80x9d and increases speed.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel surfboard having structure on its bottom surface that will add additional lift that will allow the surfboard to plane sooner.
It is another object of the invention to provide strakes on the bottom surface of a surfboard to produce thrust when turning that accelerate forward movement.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel body board having structure on its bottom surface that reduces xe2x80x9cwet surface areasxe2x80x9d and increases speed.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel body board having structure on its bottom surface that will add additional lift that will allow the surfboard to plane sooner.
It is another object of the invention to provide strakes on the bottom surface of a body board to produce thrust when turning that accelerate forward movement.
The novel watersport boards are able to obtain improved performance due to the stepped bottom surface of the boards and also due to the strakes that are connected to the bottom surface of the respective step members. The manner in which these individual structures improve the performance of the boards will be discussed individually below.
A stepped bottom surface creates lift thereby reducing specific gravity. The present state of the art surfboards and body boards depend on the physical properties of the foam material to maintain buoyancy. By forming steps on the bottom surface of these watersports boards, once they move forward in a wave the stepped bottom surface will add lift. This means getting speed sooner catching waves earlier or using more progressive equipment than usual for the riders weight thereby giving the rider a clear advantage. The stepped bottom surface also creates turbulence and produces bubbles thereby reducing wet surface and this reduces friction for increased speed and ease of acceleration. Additionally, the steps create an imposing plane to wave and swell direction thus helping to move the watersport board forward when attempting to catch a wave or during slow transition periods.
Normally, watersport board equipment is designed sleek and smooth (hydrodynamic) for the very purpose of creating as little turbulence as possible. In general, the more turbulence, the more friction and the result is a reduced speed. Because the inventor""s stepped bottom surface design produces so much turbulence and bubbles, it literally introduces a whole new dynamic. Because of this dynamic, wet surface area is reduced. The result is less friction and more speed thereby producing a clear advantage for the rider. The strakes that extend downwardly from the bottom surface of the step members create direction of flow of the bubbles and turbulence away from the nose of the watersport board. Thrust or drive is produced when turning that accelerates forward movement. The strake is generally shallow in depth or height and relatively long with respect to its height and width. The strakes may be mistaken for fins because of the shape but their function is very different.
Boats have keels and rudders, airplanes have vertical stabilizers and rudders and most watersport boards have a fin or fins. These are all used for the same purpose, to direct a vehicle in a turn, usually in a pivot-like motion. Therefore watersport board fins are always longer than they are wide in order to pivot a turn in direction. There is a small amount of drive that is accomplished with a fin. This comes from the width of the fin or the rake in the fin (how much the fin is curved). The wider and more linear the fin template becomes, the more drive it will offer in the pivot. The fin will always be longer than it is wide in order to accomplish its major goal, to turn. This is not so with the inventor""s strakes. The strakes will always be much longer than deep because they have a different purpose. They create xe2x80x9cdrivexe2x80x9d not direction.
It has been found that the preferred location of the strakes is important for obtaining its best performance. The strakes would be located on the bottom surface of the step members and the trailing edge of the strakes should be kept close to the rail or edge of the body member. The front end of the strakes are toed-in order to keep the watersport board from tracking and sticking. The strakes may also be canted at an acute angle away from the center of the watersport board.